(1) Owners of motor vehicles who are residents of the State of Mississippi and who hold an unrevoked and unexpired official amateur radio station license issued by the Federal Communications Commission, upon application to the tax collector in the owner’s county of legal residence accompanied by proof of ownership of such amateur radio station license, and upon payment of the road and bridge privilege taxes, ad valorem taxes and registration fees as prescribed by law for passenger cars, pickup trucks or other noncommercial motor vehicles, and upon payment of an additional registration or tag fee of Fifteen Dollars ($15.00) shall be issued a special license plate upon which, in lieu of the numbers prescribed by law, shall be inscribed the official amateur call letters of such applicant as assigned by the Federal Communications Commission. This special license plate may be used in place of the regular license tag for passenger cars, pickup trucks or other noncommercial motor vehicles. The application and the additional fee, less five percent (5%) thereof to be retained by the county tax collector, shall be remitted to the State Tax Commission on a monthly basis as prescribed by the commission. The portion of the additional fee retained by the tax collector shall be deposited into the county general fund. The portion of the fee remitted to the Tax Commission shall be deposited into the State Treasury on the day it is received and shall be deposited by the State Treasurer into the State General Fund.

The Governor under like terms and provisions shall be and he is hereby authorized to exhibit on any passenger cars, pickup trucks or other noncommercial motor vehicles used by him license tag Number 1, with the county of his residence inscribed thereon. The Lieutenant Governor is likewise authorized to use license plate Number 2, with the county of his residence appearing thereon. All former governors, under like terms and provisions, are authorized to use license plate X-1, with the county of his residence appearing thereon, and all former lieutenant governors, under like terms and provisions, are authorized to use license plate X-2, with the county of his residence appearing thereon.

When a passenger car, pickup truck or other noncommercial motor vehicle for which a special license tag has been issued is sold or traded by the owner, the special tag may be transferred to the new or other passenger car, pickup truck or other noncommercial motor vehicle which is replacing the passenger car, pickup truck or other noncommercial motor vehicle for which the license tag was originally issued, without additional charge, upon application to the county tax collector, with proof that all taxes and registration fees as prescribed by law have been paid for such replacement passenger car, pickup truck or other noncommercial motor vehicle.

(2) The State Tax Commission shall make such rules and regulations as necessary to ascertain compliance with all state license laws relating to use and operation of private passenger cars, pickup trucks or other noncommercial motor vehicles before authorizing the issuance of these tags.

(3) This section is supplemental to the motor vehicle licensing laws of the State of Mississippi, and nothing herein shall be construed as abridging or amending such laws.